How experienced is your building inspector?
Hiring the wrong building or home inspector to do your pre-purchase building and pest inspection and report can be a very costly mistake, so you want to ask the right questions up front!
Only a full time inspector with years of experience can develop the eye for detail needed for identifying problems.
When a building inspector has built many houses and worked in the industry for over 25 years, he develops an instinct for spotting issues that will cause problems in the future.
A building inspector’s reputation and the reputation of his business are on the line every time he makes an inspection and writes an inspection report.
What is in a Building Inspection Report?
A professional inspection company will provide a combination checklist / narrative report that is consistent with the Australian Standard AS4349.1-2007.
Technology has evolved where you should expect to receive a full-colour report the same day, with digital photographs of the issues discovered during the inspection.
The report should provide “Summary Pages” with specific categories such as:
- Minor and Major Defects
- Cracking
- Safety Issues
- Items for Further Investigations.
The report should not contain repair costs for repairs as the Australian Standard excludes this. Always ask for a sample of an inspection report so you’ll know what you can expect.
Avoid hiring a home or building inspector who also does repairs!
Professional home inspectors inspect — they don’t repair! An inspector who also does repairs should always be avoided due to the conflict of interest inherent in that situation.
How to avoid hiring the wrong home inspector
Before booking your inspection you want to have the answers to these questions:
- Is the inspection company locally owned and operated?
- Is the quality of their work monitored? At Independent Building Inspections, I personally undertake all inspections to deliver the benefits of the 25 years experience I refer to in my advertising materials.
- Do they have a dedicated website or are they just a one man show, part timer or fly by night operation with no insurance.
- Does the inspection company have dedicated employees serving as customer service representatives to schedule appointments and provide any needed follow up assistance?
If the inspector can’t or wont answer these questions, the you want to choose someone else to avoid relying on poor quality advice from the wrong home inspector.
More questions to ask to avoid hiring the wrong home inspector:
- Can I attend the inspection with you?
- Is home inspecting your only business?
- Do you have professional indemnity insurance, if so can you send me your Certificate Of Currency?
- Do you supply a satisfaction guarantee?
- Can you show me a sample report?
- Will the report be completed the same day?
- Do you include the photo protection package?
- What equipment do you use? (minimum standard would be a powerful torch, ladder, moisture meter, spirit level, and digital camera)
- Do you offer free building consultancy after the inspection?
- Do you complete both Pest and Building reports or are you not qualified for both?
- Can you recommend reliable contractors to complete any repairs?
- Are you a Licensed Builder or have you completed a short consultants course?
Your new home is just too valuable to risk hiring the wrong inspector and the reality is that under qualified and inexperienced ones charge the same or even more than the good ones!
The guarantee that Independent Building Inspections gives you is that “25 YEARS OF BUILDING EXPERIENCE” will complete your inspection, not 3 or 4 years via workers employed to make the boss money while his 25 years of experience sits behind a desk where it doesn’t help you.
Independent Building Inspections Guarantee
I will personally complete your inspection for you and you will talk to me about the report when it is complete.